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Hard Boiled Eggs

This is a great diet food snack....I usually keep some handy in the fridge. If you're lazy, peel them in advance and wrap them in plastic for later, or use one of those little Gladware containers like I had the protein shake mix in...

Hard Boiled Eggs
yes, you can…

eggs
cold water (enough to cover eggs in pan)

Put your eggs—however many you want—in a saucepan and add COLD water to cover them completely. Don't crowd the eggs in the pan, either, or they may break.

Slowly bring the water to boil over low-medium heat. I usually set the timer for 10 or 12 minutes, and check on them at that point. If the water isn't boiling yet, turn the heat up slightly, and set the timer for 5 more minutes.

You may want to just sit there in the kitchen and open the mail, or look at the paper, because those five minutes will go by faster than you think. Last thing you want to do is leave the room and begin with the stupid laundry or something else [FACEBOOK] that might distract you until you wonder…*sniff, sniff*…what's that smell? OHNO! My eggs!!! (NOTE: yes, twice; not recently)

Done clipping coupons? Water's boiling? Good, go turn off the heat. Put a lid on the pan, and let your eggs sit in the pan for 5 minutes. Yeah, set the timer again, or you'll forget.

Now rinse the eggs in COLD water. If you plan to use them for egg salad or something, and want to cool them off quickly, fill the pan with cold water and drop 4 or 5 ice cubes into the pan (don't set it back on the stove; especially not on that same hot burner, genius.)

Your eggs should be done perfectly. Enjoy!

Tomato-Cheddar Bread

This is just slightly different from my Tomato Herb Bread, and is also extremely delicious...

Tomato-Cheddar Bread

1 c. + 2 T. warm water
2 T. tomato paste
2 T. brown sugar
3 c. flour
1 c. fine shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 t. salt
1 T. minced onion
1 pkt. active dry yeast

1) Mix all ingredients on "dough" cycle in bread machine (in order recommended by manufacturer), or by hand in a very large bowl. If making by hand, allow mixed dough to rise for 30 minutes, covered, in a warm place.

2) Remove dough from bowl or bread machine, and knead around a little on a lightly floured surface; allow it to rest for ten minutes (yes, you do need to do this).

3) Butter a large cookie sheet or jellyroll pan; set aside.

4) Flatten dough, and roll it out into a big flat rectangle shape, about 16" x 12". Cut the rectangle in half, leaving you with two pieces of dough that are about 8" x 12". Roll each up along the 12" side; make sure it isn't loosely rolled. Pinch edge to seal the seam, and shape each into desired loaf proportions (i.e. long & skinny, or short and stout—totally your call).

5) Move the loaves to your baking pan, and make diagonal slashes over the tops with a lame or a sharp serrated knife blade. Cover with waxed paper and then a kitchen towel, and allow them to rise for about 30-40 minutes.



6) Heat oven to 375˚. If you want, you can brush the tops with beaten egg, or water, and sprinkle with kosher salt, or Parmesan, before baking.

7) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned on top, and the smell become irresistible. Try to cool it on a wire rack after baking, and not burn your mouth. Save one of the ends for me…that's my favorite…



This one went to some friends, and disappeared right before my eyes...


The dried minced onion I use...too many fresh onions go bad in my fridge or pantry!


Well, it looks like about a cup of cheese....I think....



Mmmmmm....fresh baked bread....

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Well, Amy thinks it's a good idea...

Earlier today, Amy came over for a cup of coffee, and we sat and chatted for a while. When I showed her how I organized my daily protein shake rations (I don't know why people think I'm o/c...?) she seemed to think it was a good idea.

I like to mix a spoon of instant coffee into my shakes, and making it quick-n-easy in pre-measured Gladware containers leaves less room for excuses. Rather than getting out either of the big Optimum Nutrition containers, I can simply empty a little ready-made cup into the blender, add milk & ice, and then BOOM, it's a shake.

Hope y'all take a lesson, or just some inspiration, from this little tip. :)

Limey Cheesecake Pie

I'm sorry that I cannot recall where I found this recipe...I was somewhat skeptical about how well it would work, but it turned out to be pretty tasty.

Limey Cheesecake Pie

1 1/2 c. boiling water*
1 pkg. (3 oz.) LIME Jell-O
4 oz. (1/2 pkg.) cream cheese, room temp
6 oz. (1/2 of 12-oz. can) frozen LIMEADE concentrate, thawed
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed
2 prepared graham cracker crusts

1. Stir hot water into Jell-O in heatproof bowl; mix for two minutes until completely dissolved. Set aside.


2. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy.


3. Gradually beat lime concentrate into cream cheese.


4. Next, add Jell-O and beat until well blended.


5. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour into crusts, dividing it evenly.


This recipe makes 2 pies. After I poured the first one into the crust, I mixed some shredded coconut flakes into the mixture that was still in the bowl, and poured the second pie as Lime-Coconut. :) Seemed like a good idea at the time. Nobody complained...except Karoline. ;)


NOTES:
*I think that I'd reduce the water to only one cup, so that the mixture wasn't so soupy.
Also, to make up for the 1/2 cup of [water] volume, I'd use the whole package (8 oz.) of cream cheese. And, maybe I'd chill it after step 4, before folding in the Cool Whip. It was really soupy and didn't seem to mix well...although it ended up tasting good!

Salmon Stuffed Shells

The photos I have are dated August 4th, and now I'm not sure how I made this, exactly; but, it is based on my Salmon Meatloaf recipe...

Salmon Stuffed Shells

1 box jumbo shells, cooked and drained
1 can (15 oz.) salmon, cleaned
1/2 c. chopped broccoli
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 c. bread crumbs
seasonings: dill, garlic powder, onion powder
white sauce* or Hollandaise
Asiago cheese, shredded

1. Heat oven to 325˚.
2. Mix seasonings and cheeses in large mixing bowl; add eggs and blend well. Flake the salmon into bowl; mix. Stir in broccoli.
3. Prepare your sauce—I used a packet of Hollandaise sauce mix with some lemon juice added. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a baking pan.
4. Fill each shell with salmon mixture; place in pan. Continue until your shells are used, you run out of filling, or your pan is full.
5. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until it's bubbly around the edges and the cheese is gooey in the center of the pan.

White Sauce

2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 c. milk

Melt butter in a small sauce pan. Add flour and stir quickly; allow to cook briefly, but not brown. SLOWLY add milk, a little at a time, allowing sauce to thicken between additions. Season with whatever you like, such as garlic or cheese...or both! Serve or use immediately.

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icanhascheezburger.com

Casey's Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake

I was having a vanilla shake with frozen raspberries added to it, and Casey decided he wanted a shake, too. This is the result...

Casey's Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake

1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 c. milk
2 t. peanut butter
7-8 ice cubes

Put all ingredients in the blender; mix until smooth.

Poached Salmon

Poached Salmon

2 (4 oz. ea.) salmon filets
1 1/2 c. vegetable (or chicken) broth
1 t. dried minced onion flakes
seasonings: salt, chives, dill, oregano, 1 bay leaf, paprika

1. In a large skillet, simmer onion and seasonings in broth for about 10-15 minutes.
2. Carefully add salmon filets into broth, baste with broth, then lightly salt fish, and place lid on pan.
3. Allow to simmer for 6-8 minutes over low heat. Check doneness by prodding with a fork—fish should flake easily and not be tough.
4. Spoon some broth over the fish, and serve while hot.
   

NOTE: I made a lemony Hollandaise sauce to go with this, but I don't have a recipe; I just kinda threw it together. And I wanted it to be lemony, but I added too much lemon juice!

Egg Sandwich for Breakfast

This was my breakfast one morning last week...it was sooooo good!

Egg Sandwich for Breakfast

1 hamburger bun (or English muffin)
butter
1 egg
1 slice of cheese

1. Use a non-stick pan, and add a dab of butter.
2. Butter your metal egg ring and place it into the pan to heat up. *
3. Carefully crack the egg and drop it into the ring. (or you can scramble the egg first, if you prefer; I was lazy that day.)
4. Butter your hamburger bun and place it in the pan face-down to toast. (or prep your English muffin however you like it.)

5. Allow the egg to cook on one side, lifting up around the edges if it puffs up and starts to run over the ring. Run a butter knife along the edge of ring to loosen the egg, then remove the ring (put it in the sink—it's HOT!). Flip the egg over to finish cooking.
6. Put the toasted bun on a plate, put the egg on the bun, top with cheese. Eat & enjoy!!!



* I don't know where I got that particular egg ring; I've had it forever. It's nice cause it's got that little handle on it, and some of the cake rings and English muffin rings I've seen in stores or online don't have the handle. Below are some I found online:

LINKS:
Williams-Sonoma: Round; Heart; Daisy
Chef's Catalog
Sur La Table
Cooking.com
King Arthur Flour

Gripe Of The Day

UPS does it again!!!

I am getting more and more disgusted with UPS. Of all things to smash...didja have to put an extra "grind" on my coffee? Seriously.

I mean, what do they do with these packages? Is it that hard to process cardboard boxes without crushing them? Whoever works in the sorting facilities, I hope they're pleased with themselves. Well done, jackasses. You smashed yet another one of the boxes sent to me. Am I on a list somewhere now? WTF?

"Oh, here's another one for that 'Goldie' chick..." says the UPS warehouse worker, as he prepares for a Kevin Butler 56-yard-field-goal-kick with my Gevalia shipment....

Unbelievable.

UPS sucks.

Gooey Marshmallow-topped Brownies

Goldie's Brownies

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1/2 c. cocoa
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. half-and-half (or milk, if that's what you have in the fridge)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. mini marshmallows
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350˚.
2. In medium sauce pan, melt butter; stir in cocoa powder. Stir over low heat until smooth.
3. Remove from heat, and stir in half-and-half. Then, blend in sugar, flour, egg, and vanilla.
4. Pour into greased 11 x 7" baking pan. (or you can use an 8" square pan.)
   
5. Bake 25 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and add chips and marshmallows.
7. Bake for another 5 minutes until marshmallows melt. DO NOT OVERBAKE!

NOTE: I used both semi-sweet chocolate chunks and milk chocolate chips in the photos above. You can basically do no wrong with these additions! :)

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Homegrown!

This was my first batch of beans from the garden. And one small acorn squash which turned out to be buggy. :(

Chocolate Coffee Bread

This recipe makes a hearty loaf which is probably best served for breakfast...or dessert. Or you can make a sandwich out of it, like Brenda did! LOL!

Chocolate Coffee Bread
(adapted from Betty Crocker's Best Bread Machine Cookbook)

1 c. warm water
1 pkt. active dry yeast
2 T. instant coffee granules (I used Maxwell House)
2 T. butter, softened
1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
3 c. flour
1 t. salt
2/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 egg, beaten
1 t. instant coffee granules
1 T. coarse sugar (Turbinado sugar)

1. In large glass or plastic mixing bowl, combine yeast packet contents with warm water; allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir.
2. Add coffee granules, butter and brown sugar; mix well.
3. Carefully measure flour and salt together; add into yeast mixture.
4. Stir to combine, then knead into a soft dough. Knead in chocolate chips a little at a time until all are incorporated.
5. Allow dough to rise for about 30 minutes, then punch down and shape into a large oblong loaf.
6. Place on a large, greased cookie sheet, cover with waxed paper and allow to rise again in a warm place.
7. Heat oven to 400˚.
8. Make 5 diagonal slashes in the top of the loaf with a baker's lame or a thin-bladed serrated knife. Make 5 additional slashes in the other direction, creating a criss-cross pattern over the top of the loaf. Brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with a mixture of the teaspoon of instant coffee granules and coarse sugar.
9. Bake 18-20 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow when tapped with a butter knife.

(NOTE: this recipe can also be made with your bread machine, placing ingredients into pan in the order in which the manufacturer recommends.)


LINKS: Baker's lame:
King Arthur Flour ($6.95)
Sur La Table ($6.00)
ChefTools.com ($7.99)

Veggie Pizza Burgers

This was a quick mid-week dinner one night...I kinda made it up as I went along...

Veggie Pizza Burgers

2 hamburger buns
butter
garlic powder
tomato paste
2 Morning Star Prime Grillers veggie burgers
1 can mushrooms
2 mozzarella string cheese sticks
shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning

1. In a large frying pan, make hamburger buns into garlic bread by spreading with butter and sprinkling with garlic powder:
2. In another small frying pan, saute mushrooms until nicely browned.
3. Microwave veggie burgers to thaw them, then add to pan; dash with Italian seasoning.
4. Place strips torn from string cheese over burgers, then put lid on pan to allow cheese to melt.
5. Take out buns and spread tops with tomato paste; add shredded cheese. Place burgers on bottom buns and generously heap the mushrooms on them. Serve immediately!

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Turco a Hawk

In what I consider to be an odd twist of fate, former Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco is now a Chicago Blackhawk.

I have followed Marty's career for a while and considered him to be a "good guy" (as long as he wasn't playing against my team). It all goes back to a tv show that's not on anymore called "NHL Cool Shots," which was a 1/2 hour program where they'd focus on different NHL players and teams.

The episode which sticks in my mind was one featuring the Dallas Stars doing a photo shoot for a calendar sold to raise money for the Humane Society. In this episode, Marty Turco was posing with this little black and white kitten, and talking about a similar cat he had when he was a kid. Well, that won me over! LOL!


Now, it sounds like he appreciates the opportunity to become a Blackhawk: The Blackhawks are a first-class organization in a world-class city and at this point in my career I am excited to be a part of a team that will give me such a good chance to win the Stanley Cup.”

I'm also LOL'ing because of the name I gave to the tacos I make with ground turkey, instead of ground beef....